 | This articleneeds additional citations forverification. Please helpimprove this article byadding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "Army general" France – news ·newspapers ·books ·scholar ·JSTOR(October 2021) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
| Army General Général d'armée | |
|---|---|
   Sleeve insignia for the army, air force and the gendarmerie | |
| Country |  France |
| Service branch | Army Air Force Gendarmerie |
| Rank group | General officer |
| NATOrank code | OF-9 |
| Formation | 6 June 1939 |
| Next higher rank | Army Air Force & Gendarmerie
|
| Next lower rank | Corps general[b] |
| Equivalent ranks | Admiral |
Army general (French:Général d'armée) is the highest active military rank of theFrench Army and theNational Gendarmerie. It is also used in theAir and Space Force, where it is calledGénéral d'armée aérienne.
Officially, it is not a rank but a position and style bestowed on somedivisional generals, which is the highest substantive rank, in charge of important commands, such asChief of Staff of the French Army orChief of the Defence Staff. It is anOF–9 NATO rank, equivalent to theFrench Navy rank ofadmiral.
In the army, only aMarshal of France has precedence; however, Marshal of France is not a rank but a dignity in the State, and the last Marshal of France died in 1967.
The rank was created on 6 June 1939 by a decree of thePresident of the French Republic published in theJournal Officiel de la République Française,[1] following a joint report by the Ministers of War, of the Navy and of the Air. They came to the conclusion that the higher hierarchy was more often in relation with the one of other countries, which frequently had more than two general ranks. By necessity, two positions and styles were created to address this issue, army general and corps general. The decree also provided that the divisional generals already commanding a corps were made corps generals and the ones members of the Superior War Council army generals.
A French army general displays five stars on a shoulder board; the number of stars should not be compared with that of generals from other NATO countries, usually denoted by four stars only. The rank in the National Gendarmerie additionally displays a golden grenade above the stars. No shoulder board are worn on the full dress or service dress uniform; instead, the insignia is worn on the sleeves.
After theSecond World War the design of thefull dress uniformkepi for a general changed, now also displaying the stars. It was already the case for field headgear, with no other ornament than the stars.
The mention of the current usage of "a sixth star authorized for the army general in command of theParis sector" is an urban legend.[2]
The title of army general in France and elsewhere should not be confused with the rank ofgeneral of the army, which is more senior, and corresponds to other countries'marshal orfield marshal. The rank of "general of the army"theoretically corresponds to overall command of an entire national army with several armies in the field, while the title "army general" only corresponds to the command of an individual army in the field.[citation needed]
 | This article on amilitary rank or appointment is astub. You can help Wikipedia byexpanding it. |
 | ThisFrench military article is astub. You can help Wikipedia byexpanding it. |